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San Diego relief teams assist Jamaica’s recovery post-Hurricane Melissa

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San Diego relief teams assist Jamaica’s recovery post-Hurricane Melissa


SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) – Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms to ever hit Jamaica, has left widespread destruction across the Caribbean. San Diego-based International Relief Teams is already mobilizing food, shelter and rebuilding supplies.

The Caribbean is still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit Jamaica. Whole communities were destroyed, and officials warn recovery could take years.

San Diego-based International Relief Teams (IRT) is already on the front lines, helping families survive and rebuild.

Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, with winds topping 180 mph, tearing through homes, farms and critical infrastructure. More than 50 people across the Caribbean have been reported dead, and hundreds of thousands remain without power.

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Catastrophic Damage

Widespread flooding, destroyed homes, and debris-covered communities mark western Jamaica, where Melissa left catastrophic damage.

“It’s pretty bad. Whole communities have been devastated,” Rose Uranga, chief operating officer at IRT said.

Uranga said the nonprofit, active since 1988, responds to disasters worldwide and locally. But in Jamaica, the work is just beginning.

“Right now we are focusing on the critical needs, food, water, shelter, baby formula, diapers, blankets,” Uranga said. “We’re sourcing everything locally, which allowed us to respond quickly.”

Partnering with local labor not only speeds up recovery, she said, but also keeps money flowing into Jamaica’s economy.

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“In the coming weeks and months, we will be filling containers and sending them over,” Uranga said.

IRT leaders say they will stay committed as long as it takes to help communities rebuild.

“This is going to be a long recovery effort. We will be providing as we go forward building materials, drywall, and paying local labor to rebuild. It will be quite a long process,” Uranga said.

IRT plans to begin filling and shipping containers to Jamaica in the coming weeks and will send volunteer teams once rebuilding begins.

The nonprofit has been providing disaster relief since 1988 and says it will remain in Jamaica as long as necessary to help families recover.

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IRT is also preparing to assist in Los Angeles with wildfire recovery and continues to respond to humanitarian crises in Sudan.

IRT says they rely heavily on donations to assist those in need. To learn more visit their website.



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San Diego, CA

Victim of El Cajon hit-and-run urges drivers to be cautious

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Victim of El Cajon hit-and-run urges drivers to be cautious


EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 70-year-old man from El Cajon is recovering in the hospital after a hit-and-run incident that left him with serious injuries.

Julio Arreola was struck while crossing the street near US Bank on Fletcher Parkway and Pioneer Way around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

“I was lucky not to get killed or paralyzed,” said Arreola, reflecting on his survival from the hospital.

He suffered fractures in his ribs and spine, and required staples for a head injury, according to his sister, Luz Arreola.

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The suspect, 19-year-old Brian Guevara, fled the scene but was apprehended by police using license plate readers. He was booked on hit-and-run charges.

Arreola is currently unable to work at his TV repair shop due to his injuries, but he is focused on recovery and paying his bills.

This incident is part of a troubling trend of hit-and-runs in the area, including a recent case where a 6-year-old boy was killed near City Heights and another in El Cajon where a 12-year-old boy was hospitalized.

Arreola and his family are urging drivers to be more cautious to prevent further tragedies.

FOX 5/KUSI’s Jennifer Franco contributed to this report.

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All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.



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Timbers and San Diego set for decisive Game 3: ‘We Can’t Wait for It’

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Timbers and San Diego set for decisive Game 3: ‘We Can’t Wait for It’


If you were at Providence Park on Saturday, Nov. 1, when the Timbers defeated San Diego in penalties, you walked away with one unshakable feeling – hope.

Both teams are more than familiar with each other — and maybe a little tired of the sight. This will be their fourth meeting in less than a month, and emotions have already run high. In the last game, Timbers’ Kristopher Velde and San Diego’s Chuky Lozano exchanged heated words multiple times, a reflection of how fierce this rivalry has quickly become.

READ ALSO | Valakari, Dreyer lead San Diego to 2-1 victory over Timbers in club’s 1st postseason match

Now, with the series tied and a trip to face either Seattle or Minnesota on the line, everything comes down to this final showdown. Portland Head Coach Phil Neville knows exactly what’s at stake.

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“I think whoever handles that emotion, whoever handles that occasion, whoever goes out there and sticks to the game plan, is the team that’s going to win,” Neville said. “And I think the third game is going to be an absolute classic. We can’t wait for it.”

Neville, who has guided the Timbers through a gritty and tactically complex playoff run so far, didn’t shy away from the importance of this matchup.

“It’s probably the most important game I’ve coached for the Portland Timbers for sure,” he said. “But I hope there’s an even bigger one in two weeks and in three weeks.”

That confidence stems from what Neville has seen in his squad over the past two games — a growing belief that they belong among the league’s best.

“I see a team that’s got all those qualities and we’ve just got to go out there and perform again,” he said. “And what I said to them before the last game is that we have incredible belief in this group of players. And sometimes you need to go out there and perform at a certain level for them to start believing in themselves. And I think what you saw in the second game, you saw a group that started to believe that they can compete in this playoff. And the playoff run so far, the two games we’ve had have been really, really outstanding games, tactically sort of like a chess game. And I think the third game will be the same.”

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On the field, defender Dario Zuparic echoed that mindset. When asked what it will take to withstand San Diego’s early pressure, he didn’t hesitate.

“Put some pressure on them, make some chaos,” Zuparic said. “Because if we play calm, like past games against them, it’s going to be hard to win this game. So we need to play in something like not playing their game. So we need to find the way to play our own game. So play direct, play aggressive. Press them when we can. When we can’t, so drop and wait for counterattacks.”

In the end, Zuparic summed up the focus perfectly: “The only thing I care is to win the game. I don’t care how — just to win the game. Even on big games, I’m fine with that.”

Kickoff is Sunday at 6 p.m. The winner moves on. The loser goes home. After four weeks of tension, tactics, and tempers, it all comes down to one final night.



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Ohio man arrested in connection with Chula Vista double slaying

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Ohio man arrested in connection with Chula Vista double slaying


An Ohio resident has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a man and a woman to death last winter in Chula Vista, authorities reported Thursday.

Steven Cleveland, 43, was already in jail in his home state on unrelated charges when he was re-booked on suspicion of murdering Paz Gojar, 71, and 57-year-old Abdul Hasan, who were found dead on Feb. 21 in the apartment they shared in the 1600 block of Paseo Carina, south of Otay Lakes Road, in the Eastlake area, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.

Shortly after the homicides, investigators say Cleveland fled to Kentucky. He was arrested in Knoxville, Tennessee, on an unrelated warrant in April.

Based on findings from the investigation, detectives believe Cleveland fatally stabbed Hasan and Gojar inside their apartment on Jan. 29 before fleeing, CVPD said.

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He remains in custody at Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, pending extradition to the San Diego area to stand trial in the case.

Police have released no suspected motive for the slayings.



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